SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has been selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to take part in a pilot program to test electric flights that can take off and land vertically.
The three-year Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program is designed to safely integrate Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft technologies into the national airspace. AAM aims to use electric aircraft to move items and people to different locations.
The aircraft are able to take off and land vertically, like a drone, to enable access to closed-in areas. Government agencies and private partners believe the system will create new jobs and connect communities.
Watch: Utah launches first air taxi that can transport packages, people
According to the Utah Department of Transportation, nearly three dozen public and private partners will take part in the pilot programs.
“The FAA [is] acknowledging that Utah is seen as a leader both nationally and internationally,” said Matthew Maass, the director of UDOT's Division of Aeronautics.
First, the electric planes will carry cargo and medical transports. Then, once rules are regulated, they'll carry passengers.
The testing will take place in urban areas, rural corridors, mountainous terrain, and wildfire-prone regions.
The hope is to have them in the air by 2028.
“There’s only so wide we can go on our roads, and so the next natural course of action is for us to go up, and these aircraft are going to enable us to do that,” Maass said.
“Utah has built a national reputation as a place where innovation thrives,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. “This partnership puts Utah at the forefront of the next generation of aviation technology while creating new opportunities for economic growth, research and workforce development across our state.”
